Charlotte's Chance
by MaddyC.Bear
Summary: The mind is a powerfull thing, sometimes more powerfull than anything else in the world. Jiliian soons discovers this as she desprately searches for a cure for her sister's mental illness, before its too late.


Maddy Kryger

Mrs. Goodwin

English 10

November 08, 2010

Charlotte's Chance

I, Jillian Brookes, was three years old when my mother remarried. His name was Todd. Such a normal name. Such a normal _guy. _Charming, handsome, smart, and genuinely kind. But what wasn't normal; what wasn't perfect about Todd was his family. He never really told my mother anything about them, except that his parents died when he was a teenager, and that he never knew his grandparents. What he didn't tell her, was _how_ his parents died, or _why_ he never knew his grandparents. I knew she always wondered. I could just see the curiosity in her eyes, but I also saw the willingness not to push. They had a baby when I was four. Her name was Charlotte. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and a smile full of love that made you want to freeze her like that. Freeze her in that state of overwhelming joy, and true benignity.

I started going to pre-school around the time she was born. I was so excited to grow up and start going places where Mom and Todd didn't exist. I loved them, but something seemed off after Charlotte was born. Something just seemed….wrong. I got this feeling whenever Todd and Charlotte were in the same room together, like he knew some sinister secret about her. A secret he wished would fall off the face of the Earth. I could see in his eyes that he loved Charlotte, and he took great care of her. But, I could always tell that he had something nagging at the back of his mind. Mom doesn't seem to notice anything wrong. As far as she's concerned she had a beautiful family, lived in Eukapia, the best city in the world, and had a great job.

Kryger 2

As I lived my life, the tension between Todd and Charlotte eased, and I stopped worrying about it. Charlotte became a great little sister. I always tried to take care of her, even if she got on my nerves sometimes. I could never stay mad at her. Not with that smile, and eyes full of youth and innocence.

September 17, 2009 started like any other day did. I woke up, threw on my favorite jeans, and a t-shirt I decorated with my best friend, Florence. I went downstairs, and greeted my parents politely. _Charlotte must still be sleeping _I thought. Her school starts an hour after mine does, but she takes way longer to get ready. _I should go wake her up_. I went upstairs into her room. Tapped her gently on the shoulder, "Charlotte, wake up, you need to get ready for school."

"No! Not me! Not me! Please, I promise not to have kids, I promise! I will adopt, please! Just not me!" Charlotte screamed from the top of her lungs. She was suddenly hunched over her bed crying. She had fully lost control over all emotions. It was like something had possessed her. I stood there, frozen, not even processing her words or actions. Then I was moving. I tried to comfort her, though I had no clue what to say, considering I had no clue what _she _was even saying. I just held her while she sobbed shamelessly. I looked over at the clock. It read 8:00. I was supposed to be at school by 7:30.

"Charlotte, Im so sorry, but I need to go. Is there anything you need before I leave?" I said carefully. She nodded.

"I need you to see someone for me. After school, just go see Madame Sagesse. She lives behind the old church. You know, the big one nearby your school. Just go see her, and ask her if there is any chance things can be different." Charlotte said fast and desperately.

Kryger 3

"What is it, Charlotte, a bully? Because I know how to handle bullies, they say they smell fear, but it's really just their own BO. Trust me, Char, I can-"

"No!" She interrupted suddenly. " It's not a stupid bully! Just do what I tell you. Please! I need this! My whole _life _depends on this! Do you understand that? _My_ _whole life!_" Charlotte said. Her eyes wide and pleading.

I just nodded and walked out. As I walked to school I replayed the morning over and over in my head. "Not me! I won't have kids I promise." She said. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of fourteen year old would already be thinking about having kids. What does that even mean, and why would it matter if she didn't adopt? And those _eyes_. Those eyes, full of fear and desperation. She has never seen Charlotte act so…helpless.

I thought about this until I got to school. I signed in, telling the attendance lady I had a family emergency, and set off for 2nd period. As the teacher went on and on about ribosomes and the structure of cells, all I could think about was the way Charlotte acted, and my meeting with Madame Sagesse in only a few hours. I was terrified to know what I might find out or what she

might say. I hoped with all of my soul that everything would be okay. Maybe this isn't anything serious. Maybe there's nothing to worry about, maybe it was just a bad dream Charlotte had? No, I should see Madame Sagesee; I promised Charlotte.

And that's how the school day continued. My mind never leaving Charlotte. Even when Mr. Parkalietini, my government teacher, asked me what the purposes of government were. I just nodded absent mindedly until he decided I wasn't going to answer and called on somebody else.

Kryger 4

Finally the end of the school day came, I went to my locker and grabbed a few things I needed for my homework, and ran out the door. I stopped when I got outside to review in my head how to get to the old church. When I convinced myself that I had found the quickest route, I started down the street.

When I arrived at the little old house behind the church I studied the vines draping from the roof down to the ground, the brown wooden shutters, and a beautiful sculpture of some type of goddess that stood big and powerful in the center of her rooftop. There wasn't very much sunlight, because the trees that covered her yard provided shade." It smelled like smoke. Almost like there was a big bonfire right in this spot just a half hour before I arrived. I took a deep breath, lifted my chin, and knocked on the door. It took about, say, two seconds for her to answer. "Vat do you vant?" she said, sounding annoyed in her deep Transylvanian accent. She had on a pink and red dress that seemed to drag on the floor. She had on many thin colorful scarves draped over her dress completing her outfit.

I stepped inside bravely. "Hi, my name is Jillian Brookes. Charlotte Andrews is my half sister. She sent me here to ask if things can 'be different,' I don't really know what that means. Is there any way you can help?" I said in one breath. Madame Sagesse just stared. She looked me right in the eye; I felt like she could see my soul, and feel my tension.

"Come. Sit." She said finally. I walked over to what looked like a living room and sat down in the first chair I saw that looked halfway comfortable. Madame Sagesse sat down in the chair across from me "Charlotte is unique girl,"

"I know,"

Kryger 5

"She is full of life, and tranquility. She could have done great things. It's very sad. But she is definitely the next one."

"The next one of what?" I said, confused.

"It's a rare disease called Kako. It messes with the mind. It makes people evil. Truly and deeply evil. It's inherited genetically. A recessive gene, I believe, not that I know much about that science nonsense. It used to be common. Thousands and thousands of years ago. It was one family, you see, who had it. They married inside the family. Incest was very common back then. The recessive gene was passed on from child to child. Eventually society changed and many started marrying outside the family. The gene was passed on but not used. It became rarer and rarer for somebody to have it. There is only two living descendants of that family now. Only two living descendants who carry that gene. Your sister, and your step-father."

"Charlotte, and Todd?" I laughed, completely thrilled by the fact that somebody thinks my too-kind-for-his-own-good- stepdad had a mean bone in his body. And Charlotte, she could brighten anybody's day. "They aren't evil! This is stupid. I bet Charlotte is laughing up a storm right now. Nice prank; sending me to a crazy old lady's house to hear lies about my family. Im outta' here" I got up, going for the door. Then, suddenly, I was frozen. I could think but I couldn't physically move my body. Madame Sagesse got up and circled me.

"You foolish girl! Your sister needs your help! You step dad doesn't have the disease but he still had it in his genes. He still passed it onto Charlotte. The disease doesn't come out at birth. The evil grows inside you until you are a young adult, usually fifteen or sixteen, but you don't know. You are completely unaffected by it. Until it explodes. Until it completely takes over you,

Kryger 6

all your goals, gone. All your compassion and love, gone. The Charlotte you know and love will never be back! Ever! Not unless you are willing to find the cure."

"There's a cure?" I said, realizing she unfroze me moments ago.

"I believe so, though none has ever been recorded."

" So, then how do I get a cure that I don't even know exists!" I said, frustrated.

"It exists. You just need to find the people who know what it is. There's a small cult down east. Part of the very few people in the world who even know about Kako. They have the cure. Find, them and Charlotte can live a happy and normal life."

"I will" I said. I knew what I had to do. I knew where I had to go. But most of all, I knew why. I knew why Charlotte needed me. I knew why Todd kept his family a secret from my mother. I knew I had a chance to change things, and I had to start now. I gathered my things and walked home.

I walked into the kitchen. My mother was heating soup. "Jillian, dear, be careful, Charlotte's sick. I don't want you missing any school, OK?"

"Yes, mom" I said. I knew I couldn't tell her about Charlotte. Not without getting my own personal bedroom in the nearest insane asylum. I kept walking. Up the stairs, down the hall, right to Charlotte's room. She lay in bed, eyes open, looking at the ceiling. "Did you talk to Madame Sagesse?"

"Yeah. I can find a cure for you if I go east. There's this cult, they know all about Kako. They even have a cure. Don't worry, Charlotte. I'm not going to let you lose yourself." I said.

Kryger 7

"I just don't want to turn evil. I don't want anybody to get hurt if I can't control myself."

"Don't worry. I'm going to find a cure. But can I ask one question? How did you know about Kako? Did Todd tell you about it?"

"I've been having dreams. They told me everything. By the way, did you know Dad had a brother? He suffered from Kako. He killed his parents, my grandparents. I guess that's why he doesn't talk about them much. Who could blame him?"

"Yeah, well I was planning on leaving tonight. I guess we should say goodbye now, then." I said, wishing the words weren't true even as I said them.

"I'm going to miss you, and I love you, and I hope you come back soon." She said. Obviously fighting the urge to try and stop me. She knows fighting me on decisions only makes them more powerful in my mind. I got up and hugged her. Then I went into my room and started packing, preparing for my quest. When I fit everything I needed into a travel bag, I set off, knowing I was about to change somebody's life. With that thought in my mind, I got into a taxi, and left. Leaving my life behind me. I'm no longer Jillian Brookes, I'm a girl on a mission.


End file.
